Support for the UNsupported

[skiguy]

With all the recent "Hipe" in the hiking and climbing community on this site about speed record breaking efforts; It seems as though many of those Hikers and Climbers choose to go after records and lists with Support. That being someone to hand an energy bar or a bottle of H2O to the record seeker at a planned time and destination OR SOME OTHER LEVEL OF SUPPORT TO REACH ONE'S GOAL...
I was hoping that some of you out there might have a "Quiet Agenda" like I seek that does not include outside support. I donot mean to play down the efforts of individuals that certainly are obtaining some magnificent feats SUPPORTED:...but does anyone still try to do it on their own....UNsupported?

 

[bobandgeri]

I believe that our very own Sherpa John will be making an attempt at an unsupported traverse of all 48 NH peaks in 5 days in August.

Next Up.... 48 in 5 Days unassisted using the Fitch routes and rules... August 6-10, 2005 to further train for next year, get more word out about the cause and to hopefully raise some more money for Sarahs dibilitating disease... Diabetes.

 

[Grumpy]

With all the recent "Hipe" in the hiking and climbing community on this site about speed record breaking efforts . . .
I was hoping that some of you out there might have a "Quiet Agenda" like I seek that does not include outside support. I donot mean to play down the efforts of individuals that certainly are obtaining some magnificent feats SUPPORTED:...but does anyone still try to do it on their own....UNsupported?

Well, the folks with a "quiet agenda" who set out to do their own thing on their own hook are most likely to keep it quiet, don't you think? Else, it becomes another matter of "whee, look at me!" which is exactly what they eschew.

FWIW, I dodder along on my own using (peak and other) lists only to inform rather than drive my hiking. And have a great time at it. Nonetheless, I am fascinated and occasionally awed by feats of the speed (and other) record guys, who show us mere mortals what is humanly possible.

G.

 

[sli74]

Well, the folks with a "quiet agenda" who set out to do their own thing on their own hook are most likely to keep it quiet, don't you think? Else, it becomes another matter of "whee, look at me!" which is exactly what they eschew.

FWIW, I dodder along on my own using (peak and other) lists only to inform rather than drive my hiking. And have a great time at it. Nonetheless, I am fascinated and occasionally awed by feats of the speed (and other) record guys, who show us mere mortals what is humanly possible.

G.

What he said

sli74

 

[SherpaKroto]

For unsupported, I usually think of Tim Seaver who largely does his thing with little or no support.

Frodo's Denali ascent also impressed the heck out of me. Going from 14,500 to the summit and back unroped is way more unsupported that I could ever imagine!

Interesting, it seems that those who ask/need the least amount of support are often the first to offer it.

 

[giggy]

agree - the more I get into this community (VFTT) - the more I hear of folks on this board that do really, really, amazing things and we never hear about them until after the fact. Sometimes years after.

This quote might get me in trouble and sound selfish- but if I am heading to the mountains I am going to do my thing and enjoy myself and not hand someone a water bottle nor would I ever ask anyone to do it for me.

Some people enjoy it and I mean no disrespect or harm to anyone.

 

[SherpaKroto]

This quote might get me in trouble and sound selfish- but if I am heading to the mountains I am going to do my thing and enjoy myself and not hand someone a water bottle nor would I ever ask anyone to do it for me.

Before anyone jumps all over you for that. I know you, and if someone needed water, you'd happily give it to them. What I think you meant is that you don't hike a mountain in order to hand off a water bottle to a speed hiker. Nothing wrong or selfish in that.

 

[Mr. X]

What he said

sli74

I agree with Seema! Of course you know how I feel about lists from prior posts. I kind of feel the same about speed records. I would like to add that although I don't "do" lists or speed records, I think they are both cool concepts, just not for me.

 

[dr_wu002]

What is Unsupported?

"Unsupported" is kind of a nebulous term. I guess if it was truly unsupported you would run naked through the woods, with no shoes and no pack and no water, only drinking from streams and eating the occasional fallen moose.

I'm up for it.

Other than that though, there is always some level of support. Tim Seaver had a good support team -- himself. As far as I know he (using GPS coordinates) stashed food and water all over the place in advance. It certainly doesn't diminish anything he did but I'm sure he hiked often and I'm sure it was no sweat to stash things in the woods -- what difference would it be if he hadn't and instead he had a big support team handing him stuff in the woods. I wish he'd chime in here but I guess it was the way he wanted to do it and maybe he saw it as doing it in a more unsupported fashion.

I love reading Frodos trip reports just for the Whites even. It just seems like he goes for these wonderful, 35 mile walks in the woods, and they're so enjoyable to read about. I guess I feel inspired to get in better shape (I'm in good shape but not Frodo-shape) so that I can do walks like that rather than the speed record stuff but I think that's more what my personality is like.

-Dr. Wu

 

[chomp]

By far, the single most impressive UNsupported feat that I know of was done by Brian Robinson. He hiked the Triple Crown (AT, PCT, CDT) in TEN MONTHS... UNSUPPORTED. He sent him self supplies to various locations, but he did not have a team with him on his adventure. He hiked these trails the same way that you or I would... with the small exception of how fast he hiked them.

For anyone interested, you can read about his adventure here:

http://royrobinson.homestead.com/Triple_Crown.html

 

[giggy]

sherpa - exactly what I meant. But that being said - if a good freind asked for help - I would of course help them.

 

[mavs00]

Tim Seever used to post on here and then suddenly stopped . I don't know for sure, but I think he got the impression that he wasn't exactly welcome. There were a few threads that really dissected his "Whites" traverse and some pretty.... well, not very nice things were said.

Right now he's preparing to trail-run the entire 133 miles of the Adirondack's Northville-Placid Trail, unsupported. A couple of us have offered to help support him and he politely (as he always is) declined, outside some pre-event recon stuff (car-spotting and such). He expects that it'll take him 28-32 hours.

There is no established record (that I've heard of). I think Tim is a exceptional athlete it's always fun to hear from him about his exploits (unless he tells you or posts it, none of us will likely know). Like Frodo, he's a pretty humble guy from my limited dealings with him.

I know that this may not be a popular stance, and I make no judgement of people that participate in them, but I generally take a dim view on people using the mountains as mere sandboxes and racetracks in order to "set a record" or "beat a field of contestants". Don't ask me to defend that stance, because I really can't on a cerebral level . It's more visceral, and in many ways feels wrong to me. When the event overtakes the setting, It tends to "get sour" for me.

HOWEVER, the way some people go about it, the visceral unpleasantness just isn't there. Tim is one of those guys. He obviously cares and great deal about the places he goes (and visits them OFTEN), and that is very apparent to the rest of us. I definatly get the sense that it is NOT "just a racetrack" for him. That makes it okay for me. WEIRD, HUH.....

It seems to me (rightly or wrongly) that many of the UNSUPPORTED attempts and attempters have a special connection to the areas they are using to test the limits of thier own physical endurance. When you're talking about setting up weigh stations, purchasing "easements rights" for shortcuts, sponsors, etc, the moutains themself take a backseat and it becomes more about the individual event then the setting. I get uneasy at that point. I could go on, but you get the point.

There are many (some even on here) on here that are amazing athletes that I really enjoy reading about there exploits and marval "how they do it". People like Tim, Frodo, iceNsnow, Stinkyfeet and so on. Then, there are others that I read about (that will remain nameless), that just how it's presented makes me go

 

[sli74]

By far, the single most impressive UNsupported feat that I know of was done by Brian Robinson. He hiked the Triple Crown (AT, PCT, CDT) in TEN MONTHS... UNSUPPORTED. He sent him self supplies to various locations, but he did not have a team with him on his adventure. He hiked these trails the same way that you or I would... with the small exception of how fast he hiked them.

For anyone interested, you can read about his adventure here:

http://royrobinson.homestead.com/Triple_Crown.html

Flying Brian Robinson is indeed IMPRESSIVE . . . I got a chance to meet, get my picture taken with and talk with him and his fiance while hiking the Bigelows last fall . . . as a matter of fact "Regular Brian" got his name because of "Flying Brian" and NOT due to a GI issue

Flying Brian and his fiance had packs smaller than my usual daypack and they were thru-hiking the AT, it was really something else

sli74

 

[funkyfreddy]

I know that this may not be a popular stance, and I make no judgement of people that participate in them, but I generally take a dim view on people using the mountains as mere sandboxes and racetracks in order to "set a record" or "beat a field of contestants"..............It's more visceral, and in many ways feels wrong to me. When the event overtakes the setting, It tends to "get sour" for me.

HOWEVER, the way some people go about it, the visceral unpleasantness just isn't there. Tim is one of those guys. He obviously cares and great deal about the places he goes (and visits them OFTEN), and that is very apparent to the rest of us. I definatly get the sense that it is NOT "just a racetrack" for him. That makes it okay for me. WEIRD, HUH.....

It seems to me (rightly or wrongly) that many of the UNSUPPORTED attempts and attempters have a special connection to the areas they are using to test the limits of thier own physical endurance. When you're talking about setting up weigh stations, purchasing "easements rights" for shortcuts, sponsors, etc, the moutains themself take a backseat and it becomes more about the individual event then the setting. I get uneasy at that point. I could go on, but you get the point.......
There are many (some even on here) on here that are amazing athletes that I really enjoy reading about there exploits and marval "how they do it". People like Tim, Frodo, iceNsnow, Stinkyfeet and so on. Then, there are others that I read about (that will remain nameless), that just how it's presented makes me go

Excellent post, and I agree whole heartedly! I find the constant "hey, look at me race across the mountains", "hey look at me", "hey look at me", ad nauseum wearying at best..........

I go to the mountains to appreciate their beauty, to experience their quiet and to get away from the hype that constantly bombards us everywhere else in our society. I find the use of our wilderness areas as race tracks to be disturbing on a number of levels.......

The book "Wilderness Ethics" by Guy and Laura Waterman comes to mind....this is an excellent book that might relate to this discussion.

 

[AntlerPeak]

Kudos Mavs I find myself in agreement with you. My attraction to hiking began because it was not a competitive sport.

 

[anita514]

Excellent post, and I agree whole heartedly! I find the constant "hey, look at me race across the mountains", "hey look at me", "hey look at me", ad nauseum wearying at best

agreed.
I hike to get away from the city/people. I do it for myself and have nothing to prove to anyone but myself.
while I admire alot of the athletes on this board, some of the chest-beating that goes on here is kind of a turn off. I hike to get away from that competitive, rat-race BS, not to be a part of it on the trail. it's just not my thing...

 

[Artex]

Personally, I don't have a problem with speed records or posting about attempts to break them. It all boils down to the "hike your own hike" philosophy. I enjoy reading about others accomplishments, even if it doesn't necessarily relate to my style. Variety is the spice of life, no?

Having outside support for speed records is necessary for safety purposes, depending on the goal. Ultrathon and Marathon runners have water and gatorade handed to them. Why can't speed hikers have the same?

Just my two cents.

 

[sli74]

Personally, I don't have a problem with speed records or posting about attempts to break them. It all boils down to the "hike your own hike" philosophy. I enjoy reading about others accomplishments, even if it doesn't necessarily relate to my style. Variety is the spice of life, no?

Having outside support for speed records is necessary for safety purposes, depending on the goal. Ultrathon and Marathon runners have water and gatorade handed to them. Why can't speed hikers have the same?

Just my two cents.

I agree with you fully . . .
I also love reading about all the goals others can set and reach that I could never even dream about. I guess the talk about speed records doesn't bother me so much because it is something so far out of my abilities that I don't feel any jealousy or competitiveness. I find the mere getting out there hiking challenging enough to not need spped hikes to challenge me. However, if I were as fast as those that awe me on this board I think I would try to further push my limits and speed records might be the way to do it.

I hike my own hike and leave others to hike theirs. We all have our own reasons to be out there and no one person's reason is any better or worse than anothers.

sli74

 

[chomp]

Back on Topic

I really don't like the way that this thread is headed. It started off asking about people who persue records or goals in an UNsupported manner. This should not be an excuse to attack people that want to achieve goals in a supported manner. If you have any issues with specific people about their activities and goals, I would recommend that you take that criticism directly to them, and not make thinly-veiled attacks at their methods for enjoying the outdoors.

As for how the wilderness and outdoors should be used - well, that has been stipulated by the federal and local governments. Any problem that you might have with someone's legal activity in the outdoors is just that - your problem. I really don't like it when I see people telling other people how they are supposed to enjoy the woods or how fast they should hike or what they should look at. I am not saying this to claim that supported speed hiking is great. Personally, I don't see the point to supported speed hiking (I met a supported speed hiker, Cujo, on the AT in 1999, but that is another story). However, I like to run the trails occasionally and see how fast *I* can hike sometimes. That is my choice, and it is how I choose to enjoy the woods. Do I treat the wilderness like a racetrack? Sometimes. Do I treat hiking as a competitive endevor? Again, sometimes.

So who am I to say that the way someone else enjoys the mountains is wrong? Who are you?

Which isn't even the point, since this thread is about people that hike UNsupported in pursuit of records or goals.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

I hike very slowly and very unsupportedly, the former from choice and the latter of necessity. To each their own.